What happened to Ben Simmons? Troubled Nets star DONE for the season
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Ben Simmons is a name that has been quiet in the League for a while now. A name which once was the focal point of criticism and mockery and Social Media has now been off the headlines for a while now. Simmons’ addition to the Brooklyn Nets was expected to propel them to deep playoff runs but lack of chemistry among team members has put them on a downward spiral of sorts.
Ben Simmons played in 42 games during his first active season with the Nets and averaged 6.9 points, 6.3 rebounds and 6.1 assists, all career lows after missing all of last season with a back injury. Simmons also dealt with a knee issue and went through a process which had fluid drained from the area prior to receiving a platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection in February. As reported by Shams Charania of The Athletic “The Nets have ruled out Ben Simmons for the remainder of the season. Simmons is beginning a rehab program on his back,” Nets coach Jacque Vaughn says.
The Brooklyn Nets traded away Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant to the Dallas Mavericks and the Phoenix Suns respectively at the trade deadline. Although the Nets could never really bring the best out of Simmons, a lot of young players are thriving in Brooklyn. Big man Nic Claxton has established himself as one of the best defenders in the league, while Mikal Bridges is bringing out his offensive prowess and proving his capability as a scorer, which he couldn’t at Phoenix. The Nets are currently 40-35 and are placed 6th in the Eastern Conference with 7 games to go.
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Ben Simmons’ downward spiral began during the 2021 Playoffs
Ben Simmons made headlines in the summer of 2021 when it was reported that he was looking to move out of Philadelphia. This came after a disappointing playoff run for the team, during which Simmons’ poor performance and lack of shooting ability were widely criticized.
Despite attempts by the team’s management to address his concerns and convince him to stay, Simmons remained intent on leaving and was eventually traded to the Brooklyn Nets in January 2022.
Simmons’ departure from Philadelphia marked the end of a tumultuous period for both the player and the team. While he had shown flashes of brilliance during his time with the 76ers and was named Rookie of the Year in 2017, his inconsistent shooting and lack of confidence in key moments had become a liability for the team. Simmons’ transition from being an All-NBA third-team member in 2020 to potentially being deemed unfit to play in the NBA is surely concerning. We can only hope that Simmons gets into the right space mentally and revives his career at the earliest.
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Skanda Narasimha
(57 Articles Published)